Feeding a Family of Four on a Budget

Eating on a budget does not mean that you can’t eat well. Our Bolognese recipe costs around 85 pence per person for a family of four and is a tasty, nutritionally balanced meal that you can make easily from scratch in around half an hour.

Budget bolognese with pasta shapes for less then a £1 per head, can’t be bad!

When cooking on a budget it is best to stick to what you already have in your cupboards, rather than buying a list of expensive ingredients.

1 tbsp spice – you could use paprika, chilli, cayenne pepper or a thai spice mix.

1 tbsp dried herbs – you could use basil or oregano (If you grow herbs then fresh taste even better than dried).

A pinch of salt.

A few grinds of pepper.

Cheese to taste

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large non stick-pan over a medium heat, and add the finely sliced onions. Gently fry the onions until softened for around 4 or 5 minutes.

Add the meat and cook well, making sure that the meat thoroughly browned.

Add both tins of chopped plum tomatoes and the tomato puree. Stir well and add whatever spices and herbs you have available. Add pepper to taste.

Gently simmer the Bolognese on a low heat for around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the sauce to thicken. If the sauce becomes too thick then add a little water. If it seems too watery then add a little more tomato puree.

Whilst the sauce is thickening cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet. Add a little salt to taste.

When the sauce and pasta are cooked, drain the pasta thoroughly and place on the serving dishes. Split the Bolognese sauce between four and serve with a little grated cheese for extra flavour.

Notes

Top Money Saving Tip – Meat can be expensive so to use less meat and make your meat go further cook it with finely sliced onions or mushrooms. It will work out much cheaper and is also healthier!

About Tina Mullineaux

Tina is enthusiastic about saving money and loves blogging about her latest money saving tips. Tina lives with her husband and has a young family so is all the more determined to find ways make the families budget go further! Tina is a keen writer, but when she is not writing or blogging she loves spending her free time with family and friends as well as spending time outdoors relaxing, walking or tending to her gardening.